post-mortem

---
name: post-mortem
description: Use when a decision hits its 90-day review checkpoint or its kill criteria trigger — e.g. scoring last quarter's pricing change against its pre-committed success metrics.
category: C-Level Advisory
version: 1.0.0
tools: []
---

# /cs:post-mortem — Honest Retrospective

**Command:** `/cs:post-mortem <decision-path>`

Closes the strategic sprint loop. Scores a decision against pre-committed success and kill criteria, and revisits preserved dissent.

**Pipeline:** /cs:office-hours → /cs:brief → /cs:boardroom → /cs:decide → /cs:execute → /cs:post-mortem

## When to Run

- At the 90-day checkpoint
- When a kill criterion triggers
- After a major decision is reversed
- Quarterly on all decisions of the past quarter

## Inputs

- The decision record
- The execution plan
- Actual outcomes (metrics, events, customer signals)

## Output: Post-Mortem Record

Saved to `~/.syntic/postmortems/YYYY-MM-DD-<slug>.md`:

```markdown
# Post-Mortem: <decision title>
**Decision date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Post-mortem date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Status:** WIN / PARTIAL / LOSS / MIXED

## Outcome Scoring (against pre-committed criteria)

| Success Criterion | Threshold | Actual | Met? |
|---|---|---|---|
| <metric 1> | <threshold> | <actual> | ✅ / ❌ |

| Kill Criterion | Threshold | Actual | Triggered? |
|---|---|---|---|
| <metric> | <threshold> | <actual> | ✅ / ❌ |

**Overall:** WIN / PARTIAL / LOSS / MIXED

## What We Got Right
- <factor 1>
- <factor 2>

## What We Got Wrong
- <factor 1>
- <factor 2>

## Preserved Dissent
[Revisited with outcome scoring]

## Assumption Audit
[Original brief's assumptions scored]

## Process Lessons
- Phase 2 isolation worked?
- Devil's advocate concerns?
- Cadence was right?

## Forward Actions
- [ ] <change to operating system>
- [ ] <new decision based on learning>
```

## Why Pre-Committed Criteria Matter

Eliminates retroactive justification. The numbers either matched or they didn't.

## Routing

- `/cs:brief` — if post-mortem surfaces a new decision
- `/cs:freeze` — if post-mortem reveals a process gap
- Update company-context.md via `/cs:onboard`

---

**Version:** 1.0.0